Do compelling Self-Services impact Employee Engagement?

Imagine you are a global brand, competing globally with other companies to get the best talent. In order to find people and retain them you spend a lot of money on employer branding, so you can build your image as a modern organization. However on day one your new high-potential employee starts to work and one of his first tasks is to add personal data to an obsolete, almost ten year old HR system. Additionally on a daily basis he has to use the HR system to do time entries, leave requests, and benefits enrollment.

What do you think the impact is on Employee Engagement in that scenario? Recent research from Aberdeen Group proves companies realize the threat and are more committed to improving access and empowering employees through self-service than two years ago (50% vs. 22%). And, more than 80% of the respondents said HR Service Delivery is an important driver of employee satisfaction as well as engagement and providing compelling self-services.

While more than half of companies have an HR Self-Service Portal, the biggest challenge is making it appealing and integrating it into daily routines. Employees expect the same level of usability and unification in their professional lives as they are used to in their private lives. Mobile access and an unified experience across multiple platforms is key.

Aberdeen Group also found that 61% of companies have three or more HR systems in place. Simple tasks like figuring out the number of hours worked, the status of leave requests, or updating personal records requires most employees to sign into multiple systems, of which a large number of those systems are seven years and older.

Better employee engagement comes from overcoming technical silos and creating one unified experience. Doing so creates a win-win situation since more self-services lead to better data accuracy and better process efficiency. Done right, compelling, integrated, and mobilized self-services saves you money on HR support costs.